Thursday, February 26, 2009

a new twist on an old classic

The week before Reese's birthday, I watched a Valentine episode of Martha Stewart and she had a guest on the show making the cutest cookies I have ever seen! LoveBug cookies, which she decorated beautifully. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make them for Reese's birthday. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a ladybug cookie cutter anywhere, and I didn't have enough time to order one online. Instead, we improvised and used the same recipe to make princess cookies. We used candy-making squeeze bottles to decorate the cookies with royal icing and then embellished them with dragees and sprinkles. I had SO MUCH fun making these cookies!

When Reese woke up from her nap, she really wanted to help me decorate her cookies!


I was excited to try a new twist on a classic sugar cookie with these chocolate cookie cutouts and thought they were absolutely delicious! Here is what you'll need:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon into a bowl.
  • Place butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Turn dough out onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Form dough into a disk on baking mat and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
  • Lift baking mat from baking sheet. Roll out dough between baking mat and plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter of your choice. Transfer baking mat to a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to freezer, freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove baking sheet from freezer and trim scraps. Re-roll scraps between a nonstick baking mat and plastic wrap and repeat process.
  • Bake cookies until crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
For the royal icing, beat together 1/4 cup meringue powder with 1/2 cup water until peaks form. Add 4 cups confectioners' sugar and continue mixing until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until desired consistency is reached. If mixture seems too thin, add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy!

5 comments:

Heidi said...

They sound and look delish! Maybe I can make some um, car shaped ones for Max's birthday? he he

Oh and what is Reese's little lovey called again? Is it Jeffrey (Geoffrey)? I love her holding it in that photo.

Lauren said...

Remember how you and mom sent me 2 of these to help me feel like I was part of the celebration? Well, they arrived in almost one piece and I was thrilled to check out the beautiful icing and lettering techniques up close.

I know they were 5 days old by then, but I ate them. How piggy am I? They were good too!

Andrea Hatch said...

You are a freakin' baking genius. And an amazing host. Pleeeasssse let me know when you're making those cookies (actually...ANYTHING) again.

Amanda said...

Ben seems to only like chocolate cookies and baked goods, so this will be perfect for him! I was just catching up on my blog list and I saw that Reese turned one... crazy! I can't believe how fast time flies. She is adorable and such a sweet looking baby. Hope you guys are doing well and braving the snow in DC.

Ashley McNair said...

These were so cute and so delicious! Great baking as usual!